In conventional powered vehicles, particularly those powered by an engine or motor, it is important to transfer torque from the powering device to the wheels of the vehicle. In many conventional instances, it is the transfer of torque from a diesel engine, for example, through a transmission and driveline to the wheels. In a different vehicle setup, torque can be transferred from a motor through a final drive to an independently powered wheel. The transfer of torque from the powering device to the wheels requires various couplings and connections therebetween to ensure the maximum amount of torque is transferred.
In some instances, the durability and life of these couplings and connections can be short. This requires time to service and replace these couplings and connections, thereby increasing the amount of downtime for a particular vehicle.
In addition, many components require appropriate lubrication during operation. Without adequate lubrication, components can overheat and fatigue more quickly. If a component fails, this can cause damage to other components and affect the overall performance of the vehicle. To provide sufficient lubrication to different components, a flow path must be designed to direct lube from its source to the desired components.
In one conventional vehicle setup, an electric motor provides power to a drive assembly. Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional coupler 100 and snapring 102 are provided for connecting a motor output and drive assembly input to one another. The coupler 100 can facilitate the transfer of torque from the motor output to the vehicle's wheel(s). During vehicle operation, torsional vibrations from the motor can cause axial forces between the motor output and drive assembly input. In addition, the motor output and drive assembly input can slide along the splines 104 of the coupler and impose thrust loads against both faces of the snapring 102. In addition, the coupler 100 does not provide a lube path to adequately lubricate the motor input, drive assembly output, and the snapring 102. Thus, over a period of time, the snapring 102 can become damaged and eventually fail due to the axial forces, thrust loads, and heat generated during operation. When the snapring 102 fails, there is no structure or component available to hold the coupler 100 in place between the motor output and drive assembly input. Thus, the amount of torque transferred to the vehicle's wheel(s) can be substantially reduced and overall vehicle performance can be negatively affected. Further, other internal components can suffer damage due to the torsional vibrations and inadequate lubrication.
Therefore, a need exists for a coupling device that couples a powering device to a drive assembly to ensure torque is property transferred to a vehicle's wheel and further facilitates a flow path to provide lubrication to one or more desired components. A further need is for a coupling device to include a thrust surface to endure the axial loads from the powering device and have improved durability.